Apparatus for interleaving sheets of paper between individual slices of cheese for packages of sliced cheese

ABSTRACT

The sheets of paper are cut off and are preferably provided with creases extending in the direction of travel by means of two cooperating creasing rollers to prevent a bending of the sheets as they are interleaved, and the sheets are interleaved immediately thereafter between the slices of cheese as they fall from the delivery end of a cheese-slicing machine. A continuously rotating cylindrical roller perforating cutter is provided, which cooperates with a backing roller and rotates at a higher peripheral velocity than the preceding pair of feed rollers.

States atent APPARATUS FOR INTERLEAVING SHEETS OF PAPER BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL SLICES OF CHEESE FOR PACKAGES OF SLICED CHEESE Inventors: Andreas Fessler; Ewald Fessler,

both of Heimenkirch, Allgau, Germany Hochland, Reich, Summer & C0., Heimenkirch/Allgau, Germany Filed: Oct. 23, 1973 Appl. No.: 408,519

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 26, 1972 Germany 2252605 US. Cl 93/93 D; 53/389; 93/58 R; 225/93; 271/188 Int. Cl B65b 41/10 Field of Search 271/188, 209; 225/100, 225/103, 93; 93/1 R, 33 R, 58 R, 58.2 R, 93 R, 93 D, 93 DP; 53/389, 157

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Webster 53/157 X June 24, 1975 2,625,779 1/1953 Peterson 53/389 2,843,377 7/1958 Battersby 271/188 3,242,639 3/1966 Rosser 53/389 3,250,054 5/1966 Hurlbut et a1. 53/389 X 3,339,441 9/1967 Haley 53/389 X 3,710,533 l/1973 Burns 53/157 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner,lames F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or F irm-Fleit & Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT The sheets of paper are cut off and are preferably provided with creases extending in the directionof travel by means of two cooperating creasing rollers to prevent a bending of the sheets as they are interleaved, and the sheets are interleaved immediately thereafter between the slices of cheese as they fall from the delivery end of a cheese-slicing machine. A continuously rotating cylindrical roller perforating cutter is provided, which cooperates with a backing roller and rotates at a higher peripheral velocity than the preceding pair of feed rollers.

10 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure APPARATUS FOR INTERLEAVING SHEETS OF PAPER BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL SLICES OF CHEESE FOR PACKAGES OF SLICED CHEESE This invention relates to apparatus for interleaving sheetsof paper between individual slices of cheese for packages of sliced cheese, in which apparatus the sheets of paper are cut off and are preferably provided with creases extending in the direction of travel by means of two cooperating creasing rollers to prevent a bending of the sheets as they are interleaved, and the sheets are interleaved thereafter between the slices of cheese as they fall from the delivery end of a cheeseslicing machine. In known apparatus of that kind. the cutter is disposed behind the creasing roller in the direction of travel of the web of parchment paper so that the cutter is close to the path of movement of the slices of cheese. The paper web is intermittently advanced and by the stationary cutter each sheet is severed by a shear cut while the paper web is at a standstill. The severed sheet of parchment is then carried along by the next slice of cheese falling down. Owing to the intermittent drive and the shear cut used to sever each sheet, the known apparatus operates at a relatively low speed. Besides, the sheet of parchment paper may easily be pulled into or assume an oblique position between the slices of cheese because successive shear cuts are performed in a direction transverse to the paper web. Besides, in the known apparatus the sheets of paper must protrude somewhat beyond the side edges of the slices of cheese on the side from which the sheets of paper are delivered because the sheets of paper cannot be interleaved in a free flight between the slices of cheese but come to a standstill before they are carried along downwardly by the slices of cheese falling down. As a result, the strip of paper disposed between the cutter and the edge of the slice of cheese must always protrude. v

It is an object of the invention to improve an apparatus of the kind described first hereinbefore that the speed of operation can be much improved, any danger of an oblique positioning of the interleaves is avoided, and the interleaves are completely positioned between the successive slices of cheese.

To accomplish this object, it is proposed according to the invention to provide a continuously rotating cylindrical perforating cutter, which cooperates with a backing roller and rotates at a higher peripheral velocity than the preceding pair of feed rollers. The perforating cutter suitably comprises a serrated cutting blade, which with its serrations pierces through the web of parchment paper into the backing cylinder during each revolution. Because the cylindrical cutter rotates at a much higher peripheral velocity than the preceding pair of feed rollers the velocity ratio may be, e.g., 3:2 each sheet of parchment is torn off and accelerated from the web of parchment paper immediately after the same has been pierced, and the sheet is not diverted from the plane of travel as it is torn off and accelerated. Due to its kinetic energy, each interleaf is shot between successive slices of cheese so that a protruding margin need no longer be feared. The continuous rotation of the cylindrical perforating cutter results in a much faster operation.

In a desirable arrangement, the cylindrical perforating cutter is succeeded by a pair of take-off rollers and- /or the pair of creasing rollers.

The backing cylinder which cooperates with the perforating cutter may have a soft covering, preferably of polyamide, which is pierced by the serrations of the perforating blade. Alternatively, the backing roller may consist in known manner of a grooved roller.

In a preferred development of the invention one roller of the pair of rollers which precede the cylindrical perforating cutter may be adapted to be lifted off to interrupt the feeding of the paper, and a pair of retracting rollers may be provided, which are adapted to be operated simultaneously for a short time to retract the leading end of the paper web from the range of action of the perforating cutter. The feeding of the paper is interrupted when no sheet of paper is to be interleaved between two successive slices of cheese, i.e., between the last slice for one package and the first slice for the next package. The retracting rollers retract that portion of the paper web which is being advanced during the braking operation; such portion would otherwise be cut off by the perforating cutter which continues to rotate. ln a desirable arrangement the non-driven rollers of the pair of feeding rollers and of the pair of retracting rollers are mounted in a rocker, which is operated by a pressure fluid-operated actuator or the like so that the rocker can be pivotally moved to render the pair of feed rollers inoperative and move the pair of retracting rollers into frictional engagement.

The invention will be explained more fully in the following description with reference to the drawing in which an embodiment is shown diagrammatically and by way of example.

The paper web 2 is withdrawn from a roll of parchment paper 1 and is trained around a deflecting roller 3 to enter the plane in which the paper is to be worked upon and interleaved. In that plane, the paper web travels first over the retracting roller 4, which is associated with a pressure roller 5, which is disengaged during normal operation. The paper web then travels over the feed roller 6 and during normal operationis forced against the roller 6 by the pressure roller 7, which is not driven. The rollers 5 and 7 are mounted in a rocker 10, which is pivotally movable about a pivot 8 by means of a pneumatic actuator 9. The pair of feed rollers 6, 7 are succeeded by a cylindrical cutter 11, which carries a perforating blade 12. The latter cooperates with a backing roller 13, which has a polyamide covering 14. The cylindrical cutter is succeeded downstream by a pair of take-off rollers 15, 16 and a pair of creasing rollers l7, 18. The creasing rollers are succeeded by the path of travel of the slices of cheese 19, which fall down from the slicing machine and between which the individual parchment sheets 20 are shot.

The cylindrical cutter 11 rotates, e.g., at the same speed as the driven feed roller 6. Owing to its larger radius, the cylindrical cutter has a much higher peripheral velocity. As a result, the parchment paper web is tensioned between the cylindrical cutter and the pair of feed rollers 6, 7 as soon as the serrations of the perforating blade have pierced the parchment paper web. This tension causes an individual sheet of paper 20 to be torn off. The sheet of paper 20 is pulled off by the pair of take-off rollers 15, 16, which rotate at the same peripheral velocity as the cylindrical cutter 11 and deliver the sheet to the creasing rollers 17, 18, which form the sheet 20 with creases that extend in its direction of travel so that the sheet is stiffened to prevent a defor- 3 mation thereof as it is shot between the slices of cheese 19.

When it is desired to shoot no sheet of paper between two successive slices of cheese because these are the last slice for one package and the first slice for the following package, the pneumatic actuator 9 is operated to turn the rocker 10. As a result, the pressure roller7 disengages the feed roller 6 and the pressure roller engages the retracting roller 4 with the paper web 2 interposed. In this way, the paper web 2 is retracted and can no longer be engaged by the perforating blade which continues to rotate. When an exactly adjusted switching position has been reached, the rocker 10 is turned back to its initial position and the paper web 2 is again fed to the cylindrical cutter 11.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for interleaving sheets of paper between individual slices of cheese for packages of sliced cheese comprising a pair of feeding rollers which feed a paper web from a roll of paper, a perforating cutter roller downstream of said feeding rollers which rotates continuously and at a faster peripheral speed than said feeding rollers and cooperates with a backing roller to separate a paper sheet of desired length from the leading web end, and a pair of rollers following said cutter roller to position said paper sheet without subsequent support underneath a falling cheese slice.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one roller of the pair of rollers which precede the perforating cutter roller is adapted to be lifted off to interrupt the feeding of the paper, and a pair of retracting rollers are provided, which are adapted to be operated simultaneously for a short time to retract the leading end of the paper web from the range of action of the perforating cutter.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the said one roller of the pair of feeding rollers adapted to be lifted and one of the pair of retracting rollersare mounted in a rocker, which is operated by a pressure fluid-operated actuator or the like.

4. ln association with a cheese-slicing machine from a discharge end of which cheese slices fall in free flight to form a stack ready for packaging, apparatus for interposing separating sheets between successive falling slices, said apparatus comprising a pair of feed rollers for a web of sheet material, a perforating cutter roller disposed downstream of said feed rollers and cooperating with a backing roller to pierce sets of perforations in the web at intervals corresponding to the desired length of the separating sheets, said cutter roller being adapted to rotate at a faster peripheral speed than said feed rollers whereby a separating sheet is severed from the leading web end along a set of perforations directly after that set has been pierced, and a pair of folding rollers downstream of said cutter roller for providing each severed sheet with longitudinal stiffening creases and for flinging it without subsequent support for positioning beneath a falling cheese slice.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 including a pair of take-off rollers disposed upstream of said folding rollers and downstream of the cutter roller for taking each severed sheet from the cutter roller and maintaining the momentum thereof as it passes through the folding rollers.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said backing roller is padded with a polyamide covering.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 including a pair of retracting rollers upstream of said feed rollers effective to retract the leading web end from the cutter roller when the feed rollers are inoperative.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one each of said pair of feed rollers and retracting rollers is power-driven and the other roller of each pair is a pressure roller frictionally driven when engaged with said web, the pressure rollers being alternatively operable for engagement with said web.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said pressure rollers are mounted on a rocker member, and means are provided for pivoting the rocker member to either of two positions in one of which the pressure feed roller and in the other of which the pressure retracting roller is engaged with said web.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a pressure fluid operated actuator for operating said rocker member. 

1. An apparatus for interleaving sheets of paper between individual slices of cheese for packages of sliced cheese comprising a pair of feeding rollers which feed a paper web from a roll of paper, a perforating cutter roller downstream of said feeding rollers which rotates continuously and at a faster peripheral speed than said feeding rollers and cooperates with a backing roller to separate a paper sheet of desired length from the leading web end, and a pair of rollers following said cutter roller to position said paper sheet without subsequent support underneath a falling cheese slice.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one roller of the pair of rollers which precede the perforating cutter roller is adapted to be lifted off to interrupt the feeding of the paper, and a pair of retracting rollers are provided, which are adapted to be operated simultaneously for a short time to retract the leading end of the paper web from the range of action of the perforating cutter.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the said one roller of the pair of feeding rollers adapted to be lifted and one of the pair of retracting rollers are mounted in a rocker, which is operated by a pressure fluid-operated actuator or the like.
 4. In association with a cheese-slicing machine from a discharge end of which cheese slices fall in free flight to form a stack ready for packaging, apparatus for interposing separating sheets between successive falling slices, said apparatus comprising a pair of feed rollers for a web of sheet material, a perforating cutter roller disposed downstream of said feed rollers and cooperating with a backing roller to pierce sets of perforations in the web at intervals corresponding to the desired length of the separating sheets, said cutter roller being adapted to rotate at a faster peripheral speed than said feed rollers whereby a separating sheet is severed from the leading web end along a set of perforations directly after that set has been pierced, and a pair of folding rollers downstream of said cutter roller for providing each severed sheet with longitudinal stiffening creases and for flinging it without subsequent support for positioning beneath a falling cheese slice.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4 including a pair of take-off rollers disposed upstream of said folding rollers and downstream of the cutter roller for taking each severed sheet from the cutter roller and maintaining the momentum thereof as it passes through the folding rollers.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said backing roller is padded with a polyamide covering.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 4 including a pair of retracting rollers upstream of said feed rollers effective to retract the leading web end from the cutter roller when the feed rollers are inoperative.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one each of saId pair of feed rollers and retracting rollers is power-driven and the other roller of each pair is a pressure roller frictionally driven when engaged with said web, the pressure rollers being alternatively operable for engagement with said web.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said pressure rollers are mounted on a rocker member, and means are provided for pivoting the rocker member to either of two positions in one of which the pressure feed roller and in the other of which the pressure retracting roller is engaged with said web.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a pressure fluid operated actuator for operating said rocker member. 